The invention relates to an independent wheel suspension for front wheels of a motor vehicle, having a wheel carrier which can be swivelled for steering purposes. A lower end of the wheel carrier is disposed on a lower control arm. An upper area of the wheel carrier is supported, on the one hand, by a coupling rod, on the lower control arm and, on the other hand, by an upper control arm, on the vehicle body.
From German Patent Document DE 26 42 939, a space-saving independent wheel suspension is known for a steerable motor vehicle wheel, in the case of which the wheel carrier is linked at three points to the vehicle body by way of a lower semi-trailing arm and an upper bar-type control arm. The wheel carrier is supported by way of a coupling rod on the semi-trailing arm. The hinge points between the wheel carrier and the two control arms are situated on the steering or spreading axis. This limits the space for the wheel-side braking device.
An object of the present invention is to provide an independent wheel suspension which, while the number of linking points on the vehicle body side is as low as possible, leaves sufficient space for a large-dimensioned wheel-side braking device.
This and other objects have been achieved by providing an independent wheel suspension for a motor vehicle, comprising: a steerable wheel carrier swivellable with respect to a theoretical steering axis; a pair of lower control arms coupled to a lower area of said wheel carrier at separate hinge points; an upper control arm coupled to an upper portion of said wheel carrier; and a coupling rod extending between an upper area of said wheel carrier and one of the lower control arms, said pair of lower control arms defining lines of influence which when projected onto a horizontal plane form a triangle, each of said lines of influence intersectingsaid theoretical steering axis or crossing proximate thereto, said lower control arms ending at a distance from said theoretical steering axis at said separate hinge points on said wheel carrier.
Instead of the semi-trailing arm known from the prior art, this new independent wheel suspension contains two separate, for example, bar-shaped, control arms. At least in the projection onto the road, the lines of influence of these two control arms form a triangle corresponding to a transverse link or semi-trailing arm. The theoretical steering axis is either intersected or crossed by the lines of influence. The two control arms end spatially in front of the theoretical steering axis in two separate adjacent hinge points on the wheel carrier.
In the case of this further development of the known "antisquat rear suspension principle" for a four-control-arm axis, the steering axis on the wheel can be selected freely so that a large-dimensioned braking device also has sufficient space in the rim area. The important axis-kinematic parameters, such as the steering offset, the gap radius or the caster offset can be selected freely despite the limited space conditions. By dividing the lower control arm into two individual control arms and the linking of the coupling rod to or close to the line of influence of a lower control arm, a momentary steering axis is obtained for the wheel which extends at least approximately through the intersecting point or crossing point of the lines of influence of the lower individual control arms.
Since at least the lower control arms end spatially in front of the steering axis, a large clearance is obtained between the rim bowl of the steered wheel and the wheel carrier, which clearance can be utilized, for example, for a wheel-side braking device.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.